The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-17

outlved the queen he should be regent of the
kingdom till the heir came Of age. Prince
Albert, though distrusted at first, soon won
the hearts of the English by his purity Of
character and unaffected devotion to the
duties of his position. He devoted himself
to various reforms Of a social nature, especi.
ally the abolition of dueling in the army, and
was the active promoter of the Crystal
palace scheme Of 1851. He was the friend Of
peace and liberty in all nations. He died,
after very short illness, on the 14th of
December 1861. The queen long remained
inconsolable for his death; her protracted
seclusion caused much murmuring among her
subjects, and even now her romantic devo-
ton to his memory and extreme partiality to
his personal friends provoke criticism. Nine
children, OF whom seven still live, were born
to the royal pair; all the nine married, and
several have children, so the queen has seven
living children, thirty-one grandchildren
and six great grandchildren. The queens
Oldest Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, born
Nov 81, 1910, is the wife of the crown prince
Of Germany, and thus the descendants of the
queen will occupy the seat of power in that
empire. The next child, born Nov. 0, 1s+1, Is
the present Albert Edward, prince of Wales;
in 1868, March 10, he married the Princess
Alexandra Caroline Mary Charlotte Louise
Julia, oldest daughter of the king of Den
mark, by whom he has two sons and three
daughters, so the succession to the throne
would seem well secured.
Alice Maud Mary, third child of the queen,
born April %, 1S43, married the Grand Duke
of Hesse Darmstadt, and died Dec IA, 1878
The fourth child, Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke
of Edinburgh, born Aug 6, 1874, married the
- nj is
admiral of the royal navy. Helena Augusta
Victoria, born May 25, 1876 is the wife of
Prince Frederick of Schleswig- Holstein.
Louisa Caroline Alberta, born March IS,
1S4s, was married March 81, 1871, to John,
Marquis of Lorne. These two are well and
favorably known to Americans, as the mar
quis was some time governor general Of
Canada, and visited tho United States during
his term. Arthur William Patrick Albert,
Duke Of Connaught, was born May l, 1850,
and on March Is, 1879, married the Princess
Louise Margaret of Prussia. Leopold George
Duncan Albert, Duke of Albany, born April
q 1858, was married April %, 1882, to Princess
Helene, of Waldeck Pyrmont, and died
March 2S, 1884. The queens youngest child,
Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore, born April
IA, 1857, was married July %, 1885, to Prince
Henry Of Battenburg. We need not wonder
that the marriage portions and large annuties
asked by the queen and granted by parlia-
ment have often excited lively discussion,
both in the house of commons and among the
people The intermarriages of royal families
give rise TO strange relationships in Europe;
and it is matter of note that the longest wars
are waged between nations whose monarchs
are very near relatives. In fact all the
monarchs of Europe to-day, except the sui
tan of Turkey, are blood relatives, every one
of them descended ON one side or the other
from John of Gaunt, son of Edward III of
England.
The queen has told us much OF the happy
life she led with the prince consort, especially
at Balmoral, their country seat In the Scot
tish highlands. There nearly all the court
ceremonial was laid aside, and the happy
couple enjoyed themselves like a country gen
tleman and lady of the middle class, 1t was far
otherwise at the regular British court, espec-
tally at Windsor castle, the established royal
residence.
This noted structure is situated just east Of
the little city Of Windsor, place of some
1900 inhabitants, on high ground above
the right bank OF the Thames, twenty-three
miles from London. An iron bridge across
the Thames connects Windsor with Eton, the
seat of learning; both places are very beauti-
full and well supplied with elegant homes,
The royal castle and attached buildings cover
twelve acres Of ground and stand in tract Of
alternate grove, grass plat, lake and garden,
called "little park though it is four miles
in circumference; southwark from this ex-
tend the noted Windsor avenues of old trees,
which connect with the great park eigh-
teen miles in circumference, and west Of that
again is the great Windsor forest, with cir
cult OF fifty-six miles. Almost every rod Of